Automatic tote rewind



Max-ah 4, 1969 E. A. BREACKER ET AL AUTOMATIC TOTE REWIND Sheet Filed Oct. 15 1966 INVENTORS 5mm cum w ATTORNEYS March 4, 1969 a. A. BREACKER ETAL 3,430,330

AUTOMATIC TOTE nnwmn Filed Oct. 13. 1966 Sheet 2 of 7 IN VENTORS cum fM JLMW ATTORNEYS...

AUTOMATIC TOTE REWIND Sheet 3 of? Filed Oct. 13, 1966 INVENTORS March 4, 1969 E. A. BREACKER ET 3,430,880

AUTOMATIC TOTE HEWIND Sheet Filed ()GL. 15. 1966 l N V ENTORS W mu BY @012), AT TORN EYS March 4, 1969 E. A. B EACK ET AL AUTOMATIC TOTE REWIND Filed Oct. 13. 1966 wan, ah, gmw 161;;

ATTORNEYS March 4, 1969 BREACKER ETAL 3,430,880

AUTOMATIC TOTE REWIND Sheet Filed Oct. 13 1966 ATTORNEYS March 4, 1969 BREACKER ET AL AUTOMATIC TOTE REWIND Filed Oct. 13, 1966 Sheet WGLIZLVENTORS w lzmplh M10 -1 d 5w ATTORNEYS United States Patent 43,398/ 65 US. Cl. 242-56 lint. Cl. B65h 19/20, 17/08 8 Claims This invention relates to a machine for automatically rewinding large webs of paper or cut sheets into smaller rolls.

Paper is normally supplied from paper manufacturers in large webs which require to be printed, out, and rewound into rolls of similar or dilferent sizes for various purposes.

In order to carry this out it has been known for many years to rewind a web, through a printing mechanism, into a number of smaller rolls but while the printing cycle has been fully automatic the necessary control for the cut off and rewinding cycle into smaller rolls has been either manual or only semi-automatic.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide apparatus capable of automatically carrying out all the functions required for producing a plurality of rolls of paper or other web material from out sheets or from a manufacturers roll of paper. The apparatus may be connected, if desired, with an inline printing machine such as that sold under the trademark Chambon, and may produce rolls varying from approximately 1" to 15" in diameter either with or without a centre core.

In order to carry out the object the following functions would be effected. The manufacturers web of paper should be initially mounted at one end of the apparatus and wound through the printing machine and then passed through a series of parallel knives adapted to slit the paper into tapes, each of the desired width.

The machine then automatically winds each tape onto a mandrel until either a predetermined number of turns has been made on each roll, or the roll has been built up to a predetermined diameter. At this time the mandrel is removed from the machine and replaced by a fresh mandrel for winding a new roll. In order that this may be done the tape of each roll must be cut adjacent the wound mandrel and the new end of each tape attached to the fresh mandrel in order that the cycle may recommence. Simultaneously the full mandrel should be moved away from the winding station to an automatic unloading mechanism.

The unloading apparatus of the invention requires only one operator who is required to remove the full mandrel from the rewinding apparatus, slide the rolls from the mandrel which are of a split type to facilitate this, and replace an empty mandrel into a storage position in the apparatus. In addition, the operator may secure the ends of each of the rolls with an adhesive paper to prevent the rolls unravelling. A loading mechanism in the machine automatically returns each empty mandrel from the storage position back into a required mounting of the apparatus at the required time.

This invention provides a machine for winding onto a mandrel a length of web taken from a supply of such web, comprising a turret indexably mounted in the frame of the machine and adapted to receive a plurality of such mandrels at a loading position and carry each of them individully to a winding position whereat said length of web is wound thereon, a pair of driving rollers mounted on the frame of said machine so as to contact and drive a mandrel when it is in said winding position, means for Patented Mar. 4, 1969 attaching the end of said web to be wound to a mandrel when it is in said winding position and means for cutting olf said length when it has been wound onto one of said mandrels.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which,

FIGURES 1 to 11 show schematically the mandrel turret of the embodiment in elevation, in successive conditions throughout the rewinding cycle,

FIGURES 12 and 13 are front and side views respectively of the mechanism controlling the movement of the third drive roller, and

FIGURE 14 is a vertical section through the turret to a greatly increased scale.

The mandrel turret shown in FIGURES 1 to 11 comprises basically two end plates mounted together for indexing as a turret and having six alined pairs of radial slots 23 arranged to receive mandrels M which have a slot diametrically therethrough to receive the end of the web to be wound thereon. The turret is indexed by a Geneva mechanism through steps of 60 at the end of each winding cycle thus bringing successive empty mandrels into the winding station which is disposed at the bottom of the turret. The empty mandrels are picked oil a rail as they roll into the slots 23 in an upper posi tion around the turret.

At the rewinding station, as shown in FIG. 1, web is being rewound onto a mandrel which is nearly fully wound. The web and mandrel are rotated by drive rollers contacting the outside periphery of the roll as it is wound. The roll 10 being wound rests on two drive rollers 11, 12 and a third drive roller 13 rests on top of the roll 10 so that its downward thrust ensures good frictional contact between all the rollers 11, 1'2, and 13 and the roll 10.

The path of the web to the roll 10 is from its source (not shown) over a pair of pivoted take up rollers 14, 15, around two further rollers 16, between a pair of finger stops 17, 18 and over a pivoted tension roller 19.

When the roll 10 is fully wound the sequence of operations for removing the wound roll and mandrel, cutting the web and positioning an empty mandrel for winding is initiated. As shown in FIGURE 2 a locator 20 of a locating Geneva motion device arranged to drive the turret starts to rotate out of a recess 21 in the mandrel turret 22 so as to allow the turret to rotate. As shown in FIGURE 3 the turret starts to rotate as soon as it is freed by the Geneva device. In FIGURE 4 the locator 20 of the Geneva device has completed its initial movement turning through 180 and stopped thus completely freeing the turret and at this time the drive rollers 11, 12 and 13 are disengaged from their drive and stop r0- tating. The movement of the turret causes the wound reel to move to the left as shown in FIGURE 4, and in this condition the web is still uncut.

A shown in FIGURE on further rotation of the turret the mandrel of the wound roll comes out of the slot 23 in which it is held in the turret and the wound roll 10 starts to roll away from the turret; as the turret moves on, a guillotine blade 24 attached to the turret passes close against a stationary guillotine blade 25 mounted on the frame of the machine thus cutting off the web. As this happens the finger stops 17, 18 close thus holding the web against movement and the take up rollers 14, start to rotate about their pivot axis 26 so as to take up the excess web caused by the continued delivery of the web.

As shown in FIGURE 6 the portion of web extending from the finger stops up to the stationary blade is next drawn back from the stationary blade by downward movement of the tension roller 19 which is held up by a catch mechanism which is released at this point. The movement of the tension roller 19 stops when it comes against a stop (not shown) and in this condition the end of the web lies just over the drive roller 11. Also in FIGURE 6 it will be seen that the next empty mandrel M has come into contact with the drive roller 12 and is being moved into position for winding. Also, the locator of the Geneva motion has started to rotate into the next locating recess 21.

In FIGURE 7 the rotation of the turret has stopped and the locator 20 of the Geneva motion is rotating to lock the turret in position and whilst rotating into the next recess 21 it provides a positive stop against further forward movement of the turret.

In FIGURE 8 the locator 20 of the Geneva motion has completed its movement and the turret is fully held against further movement. Also the drive roller 13, which started a downward descent when the wound roll was removed, now comes into contact with the empty mandrel thus urging it equally against the two drive rollers 11, 12. Further a tuck-in blade 28 arranged to tuck the cut end of the web into the empty mandrel slot 30, has started to travel upwards towards the mandrel.

In FIGURE 9 the empty mandrel awaiting rewinding has been correctly orientated for receiving the tuck-in blade 28 by mechanism which is not shown. This comprises an arm having a cam surface which is moved into position to engage two diametrically spaced rollers carried on one end of the mandrel. The rollers are caused to contact the cam surface as the turret indexes and this rotates the mandrel into the required orientation by the time it reaches the winding position. The cam surface is then withdrawn out of engagement with the rollers so as to allow the mandrel freedom to rotate during winding. In

this figure a tuck-in blade 28 is shown fully entered into the slot in the empty mandrel thus tucking in the end of the web.

In FIGURE 10 the tuck-in blade has completed the tucking in operation and has been withdrawn from the mandrel and the drive rollers 11, 12 and 13 have started to rotate. For the moment the finger stops 17, 18 still hold the web and the initial rotation of the empty mandrel thus causes the web to tension and raise the tension roller 19 back to its original position where its holding catch again retains it.

In FIGURE 11 the finger stops 17, 18 have again opened and the spare web taken up by the take up rollers 14, 15 is being wound. Winding then continues until the condition shown in FIGURE 1 is again achieved.

The drive roller 13 is constrained to follow a straight line vertical path when it is displaced upwardly as the size of the wound roll increases. By following this path the downward thrust which this roller transmits to the roll is evenly applied between the two rollers 11, 12. The downward thrust is in part the weight of the roller 13 and its associated mechanism and in part the resist nce of this mechanism to the upward movement of the roller when the size of the wound roll increases. This resistance is caused by damping specifically provided in the mechanism carrying the roller 13.

The mechanism carrying and positioning the roller 13 is shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. The roller 13 is carried at the end of a pair of parallel arms 31, 32 which are pivoted at the end of a further pair of parallel arms 33, 34. As the roller is displaced upwardly both pairs of arms rotate in a predetermined manner. The movement of the arms 31, 32 relative to the arms 33, 34 is transmitted through a chain 35 by means of a sprocket 36 secured to the arm 31, to a sprocket 37 mounted on a shaft 38. Rotation of the shaft 38 turns a gear 40 mounted thereon which in turn rotates a further gear 41 carrying an arm 42. This arm has a roller 43 at its outward end locating between guide plates 44, 45 mounted on an arm 46 which is secured to a tube 47 which is concentric with shaft 38 and on which the arms 33, 34 are both mounted. Thus, a

a 4- change in the angular position of the arms 31, 32 gives rise to a predetermined change in the angular positions of the arms 33, 34 so that the roller 13 follows the predetermined straight line, vertical path.

In addition, the roller 13 is rotated in order to drive the roll being rewound, through three chain and sprocket connections, the chains being indicated at 50, 51 and 52. The drive to the roller 13 being arranged so that it rotates in step with the other drive rollers 11 and 12.

The upward and downward movement of the roller 13 is resisted by means of two hydraulic dampers 53, 54 of known design which are connected through clamps 55, 56 links 57, 58 to extensions 59, 60 of the arms 31, 32 respectively. These hydraulic dampers ensure that the upward movement of the roller is resisted thus providing part of the downward thrust on the web being rewound and they also ensure that the downward movement of the roller is damped when the fully rewound roll has been removed so that the roller 13 will not return to its original position until a fresh empty mandrel has been correctly positioned and so that the roller does not strike the empty mandrel too heavily.

Referring now to FIG. 14 where the winding position of the machine is shown in more detail with an unwound mandrel M held between the three drive rollers 11, 12 and 13. In the condition shown in FIG. 14 the web has just started to be rewound onto the empty mandrel and all slack in the web has been taken up so that the take up rollers 14, 15 have returned to their normal running attitude, the finger stops 17, 18 are open and the tension roller 18 is fully raised.

The arm carrying the take up rollers 14- and 15 is provided with a spring 61 for spring loading the take up rollers as shown. It can be seen that the finger stop 18 is fixed to a stationary portion of the machine and the finger stop 17 is pivoted about a shaft 62 to enable the stops to be closed together or separated. The tension roller 19 is pivoted about a shaft 63 and a boss 64 which is also mounted on the shaft 63 has a circumferential ratchet 65 in which a pawl 66 forming the catch for roller 19, engages. The pawl 66 is pivoted about a shaft 67 and the other end of this pawl is arranged for displacement at an appropriate time by a projection provided on the turret as this indexes, so as to release the roller 19 and allow it to move downwardly to pull back the cut oil portion of the web as described above.

The tuck-in blade 28 is shown in this figure in its withdrawn position and it will be seen that this blade is actuated by the rotation of an eccentic cam track 70 through an arm 71 pivoted at 72, the arm 71 acting on the end of a member 73 in which the blade 28 is mounted.

We claim:

1. A machine for winding a length of web, taken from a supply of such web, onto a mandrel having a diametrically disposed slot therein, comprising a frame, a turret indexably mounted in said frame and including a plurality of mountings spaced around said turret to receive a plurality of said mandrels individually, at a loading position in said frame and carry them individually to a winding station in said frame, a pair of driving rollers mounted on said frame so as to contact and drive a mandrel when it is in said winding position, means for attaching the end of said web to be wound to a mandrel when it is in said winding position and means for severing said length of web when it has been wound onto one of said mandrels, wherein said web severing means comprises a stationary guillotine blade mounted on said frame and a moving guillotine blade mounted on said turret adjacent each mandrel mounting thereon, said moving guillotine blades each being arranged to in dividually cooperate with said stationary blade to sever said web as said turret is indexed to carry a mandrel, fully wound with said web, away from said winding position.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said web passes between said pair of driving rollers to be rewound onto a mandrel at said rewinding position and said means for attaching the end of the web to a mandrel at said rewinding position comprises a tuck-in blade arranged on said frame so as to be operable between said pair of driving rollers to tuck said end of said web into the diametric slot of that mandrel.

3. A machine as claimed in claim 1, further including a third roller which is arranged to hold a mandrel at said rewinding position in contact with both said driving rollers the arrangement being such that all three said rollers continue to drive said mandrel by contacting the outside periphery of the web as it is rewound onto said mandrel, there is further provided a first pair of arms pivotally mounted on said frame, a second pair of arms pivotally mounted in said first pair of arms respectively at the ends of said first pair of arms remote from said frame, said third roller being rotatably carried on said second pair of arms at the end remote from said first pair of arms, and means to control the angular disposition of said pairs of arms so that said third roller follows a path with its axis equidistant from each of the axes of said driving rollers as said web is rewound onto said mandrel.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 1, including a tension roller, around which said web passes before being wound onto a mandrel at said rewinding position, movably mounted on said frame, a spring means arranged on said frame to urge said tension roller in a direction to tension said web, a catch arranged on said frame to hold said tension roller against said spring and means for releasing said tension roller when said web is severed after a mandrel has been wound so that said tension roller can tension said web and draw the severed end back to a position for attachment to the next mandrel in said turret to be Wound.

5. A machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein said tension roller is arranged to be moved back against said spring means by the tension in said web produced as rewinding of said next mandrel commences.

6. A machine as claimed in claim 4, further including a pair of finger stops arranged on said frame in the path of said web to said tension roller and means to operate said finger stops to grip said web during the time that said tension roller draws said severed end back.

7. A machine as claimed in claim 2, including two rollers diametrically spaced on the end of each mandrel, a cam surface mounted on said frame so as to be movable between a position where it engages with a mandrel in said turret by way of said two rollers, to align each mandrel as it is carried to said rewinding position so that said diametric slot is correctly disposed to receive said tuck-in blade, and a second position clear of a mandrel in said rewinding position to allow its rotation for winding.

8. A machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein a spring loaded arm is pivotally mounted in said frame in the path of said web to said tension roller and a pair of take up rollers and rotatably mounted one at each end of said spring loaded arm the arrangement being such that said web is fed around said take up rollers to said tension roller.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,619,298 11/1952 Aulen 242-66 2,984,426 5/1961 Johnson 24256 3,162,393 12/1964 De Gelleke 24266 LEONARD D. CHRISTIAN, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

1. A MACHINE FOR WINDING A LENGTH OF WEB, TAKEN FROM A SUPPLY OF SUCH WEB, ONTO A MANDREL HAVING A DIAMETRICALLY DISPOSED SLOT THEREIN, COPMPRISING A FRAME, A TURRET INDEXABLY MOUNTED IN SAID FRAME AND INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF MOUNTINGS SPACED AROUND SAID TURRET TO RECEIVE A PLURALITY OF SAID MANDRELS INDIVIDUALLY, AT A LOADING POSITION IN SAID FRAME AND CARRY THEM INDIVIDUALLY TO A WINDING STATION IN SAID FRAME, A PAIR OF DRIVING ROLLERS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME SO AS TO CONTACT AND DRIVE A MANDREL WHEN IT IS IN SAID WINDING POSITION, MEANS FOR ATTACHING THE END OF SAID WEB TO BE WOUND TO A MANDREL WHEN IT IS IN SAID WINDING POSITION AND MEANS FOR SEVERING SAID LENGTH OF WEB WHEN IT HAS BEEN WOUND ONTO ONE OF SAID MANDRELS, WHEREIN SAID WEB SEVERING MEANS COMPRISES A STATIONARY GUILLOTINE BLADE MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME AND A MOVING GUILLOTINE BLADE MOUNTED ON SAID TURRET ADJACENT EACH MANDREL MOUNTING THEREON, SAID MOVING GUILLOTINE BLADES EACH BEING ARRANGED TO INDIVIDUALLY COOPERATE WITH SAID STATIONARY BLADE TO SEVER SAID WEB AS SAID TURRET IS INDEXED TO CARRY A MANDREL, FULLY WOUND WITH SAID WEB, AWAY FROM SAID WINDING POSITION. 